Delta and United join list of companies to cut ties with the NRA

Two major airlines. A cybersecurity firm. Six car rental brands. A home security company. An Omaha b...

Posted: Feb. 23, 2018 8:41 AM

Updated: Feb. 25, 2018 1:03 PM

Two major airlines.A cybersecurity firm. Six car rental brands. A home security company. An Omaha bank. Companies have scrambled to cut ties with the National Rifle Association over the past couple of days, and the list continued to grow into the weekend.

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Delta Air Lines announced Saturday morning that it's ending discounted rates for NRA members. "We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website," the company said in a tweet.

United Airlines followed a short time later, saying the company will no longer offer discounts on flights to the NRA annual meeting.

And TrueCar, a car buying service, said late Friday that it would end its deal with the NRA as of February 28.

The companies were the latest to abandon partnerships with the NRA amid a renewed public debate over tightened gun laws following a school shooting in Florida last week that left 17 dead.

There was also a wave of car rental outfits. Enterprise Holdings, which runs the Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental groups, announced that it will end the discount deal it has with the NRA on March 26.

On Friday, car rental company Hertz said in a tweet that it's also ending its NRA rental car discount program.

The NRA was advertising a Hertz partnership on its "member benefits" page as recently as Friday morning, but that listing disappeared by the afternoon.

The National Rifle Association released a statement on Saturday saying companies "have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice."

"In time, these brands will be replaced by others who recognize that patriotism and determined commitment to Constitutional freedoms are characteristics of a marketplace they very much want to serve," the statement said.

Avis and Budget, which are owned by the same company, were also listed as discount providers on NRA's website Friday. But when reached for comment, Avis Budget Group told CNNMoney that it too was ending its partnership with the organization.

"Effective March 26, our brands will no longer provide the NRA member discount," an Avis Budget Group spokesperson said via email.

More big names followed suit.

A spokesperson for moving van lines Allied and North American, which are both owned by Sirva, said Friday that the brands "no longer have an affiliate relationship with the NRA effective immediately."

"We have asked them to remove our listing from their benefits site," the spokesperson added. The company did not describe what kind of benefits had been offered to NRA members.

Insurance giant MetLife said Friday that it's ending its discounts on home and auto insurance for NRA members.

Symantec, which makes the Norton anti-virus software and owns the identity theft protection company LifeLock, said Friday that it is severing ties with the NRA. And SimpliSafe, which sells home security systems, said the same.

None of the companies gave details about why or when they decided to cut ties with the NRA, but the news comes as the hashtag #BoycottNRA has circulated widely on social media.

After the shooting in Parkland, Florida on February 14, survivors of the massacre have protested for stronger gun laws. Students across the country have walked out of class to demand new restrictions on the sale of firearms and an end to mass shootings in the U.S.

Some survivors of mass shootings confronted NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch at a CNN town hall on Wednesday. Loesch blamed a flawed system for letting people who shouldn't be able to buy guns slip through the cracks.

Two other companies -- the insurer Chubb and Wyndham Hotel Group -- confirmed to CNNMoney Friday that they've recently ended partnerships with the NRA. However, those decisions were made prior to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last week.

Chubb said in a statement that it "provided notice of our intent to discontinue participation in the NRA Carry Guard insurance program" three months ago.

The NRA Carry Guard program offers coverage for certain costs associated with gun-related accidents or incidents in which the gun owner claims they lawfully acted in self defense.

Lockton, another insurance firm, continues to underwrite policies for the NRA Carry Guard program, according to the NRA's website. Lockton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wyndham Hotel Group said in a statement that it "ended our relationship with the NRA late last year."